PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Florencio Lara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Hack (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joe Hack will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Lara
vs
Hack

155 cm
24
140 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

175 cm
25
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Florencio Lara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Hack!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hack darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Lara tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Hack stands up from half guard.
Joe Hack seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lara goes for a double leg but Hack avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Hack continues to drive forward.

Hack rushes Lara and presses him up against the cage.

Hack has picked Lara up - he's going for a ride! Hack dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Lara missing with punches from the bottom.
Lara could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Lara won't allow Hack to pass to mount.
Hack wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lara keeps working.
Hack keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lara is trying to stand back up but Hack is controlling him
Hack tries to pass to full mount but Lara defends it.
Hack is thwarting Lara's attempts to control the position.
Hack trying to pass the guard but Lara defending well.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Hack scores with a body shot.
Lara tries for a takedown but Hack sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hack is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Lara gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hack to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Hack stands up from Lara's guard - Hack perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hack tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Lara paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A quick step to the side and Lara tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

Hack shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Lara tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Lara moves into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hack looking to pass the guard.
Lara keeping moving, preventing Hack from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara wants to stand up but Hack is controlling him.
Lara keeping full guard, as Hack tries to pass.
Hack trying to control the position from guard on top but Lara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hack passes into half guard.
Hack wants to control but Lara is keeping him busy.

Hack seems to be working for a kimura but Lara defends the submission attempt.
Lara might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Lara throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Lara is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Hack seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Hack manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Lara on his heels. He'll look to pass Lara's guard now, I'm sure.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lara can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Hack controls the pace.
Hack won't allow Lara to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Hack dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hack gets the takedown into side control.
Hack trying to control the position but Lara is working away.
Hack misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Lara is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Hack off and has taken his back!
Hack turns into Lara and is now in his guard.

Hack gets to his feet. Lara looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Lara drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Lara accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Lara trying to control the position from guard on top but Hack is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hack has control of Lara's left arm, preventing Lara from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hack is looking to stand up but Lara isn't so interested in that idea.
Hack seems keen to control Lara's posture.
Hack tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Lara looking to sit in guard and control but Hack gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Lara is on top in guard.

Hack wants to sweep here but Lara controlling him for the moment.
Hack trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Hack wants to stand and escape but Lara is having none of it.
Hack has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lara wants to pass the guard but Hack is keeping the position.
Hack trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Lara trying to control but Hack is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hack throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hack looking for a sweep. Not yet Hack, not yet.
Hack has control of Lara's left arm, preventing Lara from doing any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Lara darts in and clinches Hack up against the cage.
Hack taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Lara gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Hack regains guard.
Hack trying to control the position.
Lara looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hack is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Lara trying to control but Hack is working from the bottom.
Lara won't allow Hack to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lara trying to control the position from guard on top but Hack is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lara throws a big elbow that misses.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Florencio Lara will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Lara tries to close the distance and clinch up but Hack swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hack throws a sloppy head kick and Lara moves out of range easily.

Hack looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Lara!
Lara is looking to reverse the position.

Hack decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Lara avoids the head kick by Hack.
Lara tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Hack manages to circle out of the way.
Hack pulls out of a head kick attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hack drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Lara is looking for a sweep.
Lara is trying to strike from the bottom but Hack has passed into full mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hack throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Hack prevents Lara from getting the reversal.
Hack lands a nice shot to the head.
Lara trying desperately to get to his feet.
Lara throwing hammer fists to the chest of Hack. What's that going to do exactly?
Hack avoids the attempt from Lara to control.
Hack throwing strikes here but Lara is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

Hack has hold of Lara's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Lara manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Joe Hack has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara has given up his back here.
Lara is trying to stand back up.
Hack is punishing Lara with strikes - can he finish him?!
Hack is looking to control Lara but Lara is wriggling around and keeping busy.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara wants to escape the position.
Lara is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
A lull in the action here.
Hack controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Hack is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Hack is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Lara has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Hack is hanging on to Lara's back as he tries to escape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Hack is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Lara defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Hack is hanging on to Lara's back as he tries to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Hack comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hack has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Hack!